Tether.



Patented July l8, I899.

a. c. w. MAGRUDER.

T E T H E R (Application med um. 25, 1898.

(No Model.)

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lirrn rarns GEORGE O. \V. MAGRUDER, OF TENNALLYTOWN, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TETHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,950, dated July 18, 1899.

Application filed March 25, 1898. erial No. 676;111. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE O. V. MAGRU- DER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tennallytown, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Tether, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in tethers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of tethers and to provide a rotating one which will be simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction and adapted to be firmly secured in the ground and capable of enabling an animal to graze over theentire area of the circle described by the tether without permitting it to become entangled with the pivot or stake.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a tether constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the hitching device. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View illustrating the manner of mounting the eye or bearing on the inner end of the horizontal rod or axle. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating the construction of the adjustable collars.

Like numerals of reference designate correspondin g parts in all the figures of the draw ings.

1 designates a stake or pivot, preferably consisting of a metal crowbar and passing through an eye 2 of the inner end of a horizontal rod or axle3, which is supported a short distance above the surface of the ground and parallel with the same by inner and outer,

wheels 4: and 5, journaled on the rod or axle and receiving the same inthe openings of their hubs and held against longitudinal movement thereon by collars 6. The horizontal rod or axle, which may be constructed of any suitable material, is preferably made of tubular metal, such as gas-pipe, and it may consist of a continuous piece or be composed of separate sections suitably coupled together.

The eye 2 consists of a piece of rod metal or other suitable material bent into circular shape to form an eye and having the terminals extended and flattened to form a shank 7, which is secured within the inner end of the horizontal rod or axle by means of a suitable fastening device, such as a transverse pin or bolt. The tubular metal of which the rod or axle is constructed forms a socket for the said shank, but the eye when a solid rod or axle is employed may have its shank secured to opposite sides of the same.

The wheel 5 is located at the outer end of the horizontal rod or axle and the other wheel fiis located between the ends of the same, preferably at a point between the center of the rod or axle and the pivot or stake 1, and these wheels, which may be of any desired construction, are detachably and adj ustably mounted on the rod or axle by collars G, which may be provided with set-screws 9 and which can be secured by wedges or keys 10 or any other suitable means.

An animal is connected slidingly with that portion of the rod or axle between the wheels by means of a fastening device comprising, preferably, a rigid member 11 and a flexible member 12, connected by a swivel-joint 13 with the rigid member 11. The rigid member of the hitching device consists of a rod or bar provided at its point of connection to the rod or axle with a ring 14, which is secured to the rod or bar by a metal strip or strap 15, extended around the end of the said rod or bar and forming an eye for the reception of the ring. The swivel-joint may bearranged at any desired point and the hitching device, which cannot become entangled in the hoofs of a horse, is adapted to slide longitudinally of the outer portion of the rod or axle, the wheels forming stops for limiting the sliding movement.

The hitching device is slightly shorter than that portion of the rod between the inner wheel and the stake or pivot, so that a horse will be permitted to graze within a short distance of the stake or pivot-say about six inches-but will be prevented from passing around the same and winding the hitching device thereon. As the hitching device is adapted to slide to the outer end of the rod or axle, a horse is permitted to graze beyond the same, and it will be clear by reference to the diagram shown in connection with Fig. 2 that mew the latter it is permitted to graze over a circle having a radius equal to the length of the horizontal rod or axle and the hitching device.

The device is designed to be provided with adjustable stops 16 and 17, arranged on that portion of the rod between the wheels and located at opposite sides of the hitching device. These stops are designed to be used when a vicious animal is tethered and are located a suflicient distance from the wheels to prevent the hitching device from coming in contact with either of them when the animal has reached the limit of its movementon the sliding rod and is pulling against either of the adjustable stops 16 and 17. By this construction an animal can exert only a tensile strain on the rod and the hitching device and cannot fulcrum the rigid portion of the hitching device on the wheel and injure either of the parts. The inner stop 16 may also be employed for limiting the inward movement of the hitching device when it is desired to arrange the inner wheel closer to the stake or pivot than is shown in the accompanying drawings. spaced from the Wheels, the grazing area open to the animal is lessened, and as soon as an animal becomes gentle or sufficiently acoustomed to the tether not to injure the latter the adjustable stops will be arranged against the wheels, so as to alford the animal the full grazing area.

The Wheels which support the rod or axle enable the tether to move freely over the ground, and instead of arranging the rod or axle horizontally it may be disposed at an inclination, one of the wheels (the outer one) being of greater diameter than the other wheel.

The invention has the following advantages: The tether is exceedingly simple and WVhen the adjustable stops areinexpensive in construction and is adapted to be readily mounted in position and can be conveniently moved from one place to another. It permits an animal great freedom of movement and at the same time prevents the hitching device from becoming entangled with its legs or wrapped around the stake or pivot. Furthermore; it is impossible for an animal to become frightened and injure himself with the device.

Changes in form, proportion, and minor de tails of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

WVhat I claim -is 1. A device of the class described comprising a stake, a laterally-extending rod pivoted thereto, supporting-wheels having the rod passing through their hubs and serving as an axle therefor, and a hitching device sliding on the rod between the wheels, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described compris ing a stake, a laterally-extending rod pivoted thereto, supporting-wheels having the rod passing through their hubs and serving as an axle therefor, a sliding hitching device arranged between the wheels, and adjustable stops mounted on the rod or axle and spaced from the wheels to prevent the hitching device from exerting a lateral strain on the same, said adjustable stops being adapted to be adjusted against the wheels to permit the hitching device to slide along the entire space between the same, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEO. O. W. IWIAGRUDER.

Witnesses:

JOHN 11. Siemens, FRANCES PEYToN SMITH. 

